Rogue Smoke Ale

I’d had a bottle of Rogue‘s Smoke Ale in the fridge for quite some time now—years, really—and I finally decided that it was time to drink it. It was the smaller 7-ounce bottle, limited release I think, that Rogue used to put out; now it’s available in the 22-ounce bottle.

Since I’d had it for years, I was a little anxious as to whether it was still good. It was.

Appearance: Sediment in the bottom of the bottle; a careful pour resulted in a nicely clear, orange-amber (brown) beer with minimal head.

Smell: Smoke is predominant; oily, reminding me of smoked salmon or bacon—appetizing! Complex and subtle at the same time… can almost detect the grains below the smoke.

Taste: Smoked salmon character is stronger than ever, paired with a light, crisp malt character that’s very clean. Any bitterness here (not much) comes from the smoke notes… otherwise the beer is soft, a tiny bit doughy, with little or no hop character. It’s held up extraordinarily well.